Buckle for ski and mountaineering shoes

ABSTRACT

A buckle for ski and/or mountaineering shoes wherein the clamping loop is releasably secured to a mounting plate fixedly secured to the shoe by a screw.

United States Patent lll 122i [451 2321 [33] [3H inventor Loris Baso Corso Milano 19, Padua, Italy Appl. No. 840,357 Filed July 9, 1969 4 Patented Aug. 17, 197 l Priority July 25, 1968 Italy l9426A/68 BUCKLE FOR SKI AND MOUNTAINEERING SHOES 7 Claims,4 Drawing Figs.

U.S.Cl..... A A 4 A A s 24/70 SK lut.Cl ,s A43e1l/14 Field o!Search..... .A 24/68 SK, 69 SK, 70 SK, 265 RL [56] References Cited UNTTED STATES PATENTS 3,287,714 11/1966 Bindingeral 24/70SK 3,354,514 1|/1967 Munari v 24/70SK 3,363,288 1/1968 Langeetal......,. Z4/68SK 3,401,432 9/1968 Tresenreir 24/70 sx FOREIGN PATENTS 1,373,424' 8/1964 France 24/70 SK Primary Examiner-Donald A. Gri'ln Attorney-Woodhams, Blanchard and Flynn ABSTRACT: A buckle for ski and/or mountaineering shoes wherein the clamping loop is releasably secured to a mounting plate xedly secured to the shoe by a screw.

BUCKLE mit Sll AND MUNTAENIEEPNG Slllllll T he invention relates to a buckle for ski and mountaineering shoes consisting of a clamping loop cooperating with a toothed tensioning lever, said clamping loop being pivotally supported about a horizontal axis on a mounting plate.

ln known buckles of this type, the clamping loop is rigidly, that is unreleasably, connected to the mounting plate. This has the considerable disadvantage that in the case of a breaking or a damage of the clamping loop, the entire unit consisting of the clamping loop and the mounting plate must be removed from the shoe and replaced by a new unit. ln order to release the mounting plate from the shoe, the retaining rivets have to be removed by means of a drilling machine. Further, a riveting machine is required to secure the new unit which consists of the clamping loop and mounting plate to the shoe. l`hus, the type of construction used so far has the disadvantage that the replacement of a clamping loop together with the mounting plate is difficult, is time consuming and requires special tools and that, in case of a breaking or damage to the clamping loop, the entire unit consisting of clamping loop and mounting plate must be replaced with a new one.

in order to overcome these disadvantages, according to the invention, the annular clamping loop is pivotably arranged in a bearing portion which is releasably connected to the mounting plate by a low-head screw. This new type of construction has the advantage that the user ofthe ski or mountaineering shoe can himself replace the broken or damaged clamping loop with a new clamping loop with only a few manipulations and without any special tools.

The invention will be described hereinafter in more detail in connection with one advantageous exemplary embodiment which is illustrated in the drawing in which:

FiG. l is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of a buckle mounted to a partially illustrated ski or mountaineering shoe;

PEG. Q, is atop view ofthe clamping loop and mounting plate of said buckle in an enlarged scale;

FliG. 3 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view along the line lll-lll of FG. fl; and

llG. i is atop view of the mounting plate.

The illustrated buckle consists substantially of a toothed tensioning lever 3 pivotably supported about the axis of a pin 2 in a bearing block il and ofa clamping loop 5 which is engage` able with the notches i of said tensioning lever. rthe clamping loop is pivotably supported about the horizontal axis la on a mounting plate 7. "lhe mounting plate 7 is secured to the instep portion o o the shoe. The bearing block l of the tensioning lever is mounted to the other instep portion l@ ofthe shoe with a mounting plate 9.

As illustrated in the drawing, the annular clamping loop 5 is pivotably arranged in a bearing part lll which is releasably connected to the mounting plate '7 in the illustrated embodiment by means ola low-head screw l2. ln the illustrated, particularly advantageous embodiment, the mounting plate 7 has a vertical cylindrical stub id which is provided with an inten nal thread i3 and which is used for both a pivotal support of the bearing portion lll about a vertical axis i5 and also for threadably receiving the ow-head screw l2. The bearing portion lll is thereby advantageously formed of a piece of sheet metal to define a pivot bearing for the hinge part 5a of the clamping loop. The bearing portion ll is preferably approximately cylindrical and is pivotably supported about the stub ld by the tongues lib. This new type of structure has the ad vantage that the pressures exerted by the clamping loop 5 are exerted against the stub li of the mounting plate so that the I screw i2 is not loaded. Furthermore, this type of structure has the advantage that the clamping loop 5 is not only pivotable about the horizontal axis d but also about the vertical axis .l5 so that the handling ofthe clamping loop during closing ofthe buckle with the tensioning lever lf is made easier.

A nearly semicircularly shaped ridge lo is further ad vantageously provided on the mounting plate, which ridge partially surrounds the bearing portion lll) and the edges l?,

l@ define stops for limiting the swinging movement of the clamping loop 5. The clamping loop can move only through a small angular zone during deviation in the direction of arrow A about the vertical axis i5 or the stub ld until the bearing portion lilla touches either one of the stops l?, lll. The ridge lo can, if desired, be formed by a corresponding forming of the mounting plate 7 made of sheet metal. However, in the illustrated advantageous embodiment, this ridge is arranged on a cover plate i9 which is rigidly connected to the mounting plate 7. ln the illustrated simple embodiment, the cover plate i9 has rivet stubs 2li which are inserted from above through correspondingly large holes 2l of the mounting plate i and are then riveted according to FlG. 3 so that a rigid and unreleaseble connection between the two plates and ll@ is created. These rivet stubs 2@ are further used for the passage of the retaining rivet 22 through the holes 23 of said rivet stubs to secure the mounting plate to the instep portion ai of the shoe.

The clamping loop S can consist of a simple annular clamp which is formed from wire. ln the illustrated advantageous embodiment, however, the clamping loop 5 is constructed as a spring clamp. The hinge part 5a ofthe clamping loop is for this purpose rigidly connected to telescoping pipes 5b wherein springs which are provided on the ends of the part 5c of the clamping loop are arranged and are secured to the free ends of the pipes 5b. Thus, in case or" an inclined stress on the clamping loop 5, the part 5c of the clamping loop can move in direction ofthe pull B against the spring pressure. This results in the advantage that the closing of the tensioning lever 3 is made easier and that also less stress is placed on the mounting plate or the stub ld.

ln the embodiment illustrated in FlG. ll, the bearing block l is advantageously arranged on a baseplate la which is rcleasably connected to the mounting plate 9 so that in the case of a breaking ofthe tensioning lever, the-bearing block l can be replaced quickly and easily.

l`he embodiments of the invention in which l claim an exclusive property or privilege are defined as follows:

Il. A buckle for ski and mountaineering shoes having annular clamping loop means fixed to one instep portion of said shoe and toothed tensioning lever means fixed to the other instep portion of said shoe, said annular clamping loop means comprising: i

a mounting plate secured to said one instep portion of said shoe, said mounting plate having a cylindrical stub portion projecting vertically therefrom, said cylindrical stub portion having an internally threaded opening therethrough;

means secured to said annui-.1- clamping loop means delining a tongue extending away from said clamping loop and being pivotally connected to said cylindrical stub; and

a low-head screw threadedly engaged with said internally threaded opening in said cylindrical stub to thereby releasably secure said tongue means to said cylindrical stub, the head of said screw engaging the vertical edge of said cylindrical stub to effect a pivotal connection of said tongue means to said mounting plate which is free of a binding, frictional 2. Buckle according to claim l, characterized in that the mounting plate has a nearly semicircularly shaped ridge which partially surrounds the bearing portion and is used as a stop to limit the swinging movement.

3. Buckle according to claim 2 characterized in that the ridge is arranged on a cover plate which is rigidly connected t0 the mounting plate.

4. Buckle according to claim 3, characterized in that the cover plate has hollow rivet stubs which secure the cover plate to mounting plate and permit the passage of the retaining rivet therethrough.

5. Buckle according to claim ll, characterized in that the clamping loop is constructed as a spring clamp.

6. Buckle according to claim ll, wherein said tongue means has means defining an opening therethrough for receiving said cylindrical stub, said cylindrical stub projecting above said shoe, said mounting plate having means defining a pivot shaft thereon; means secured to said annular clamping loop defining a tongue extending away from said annular clamping loop; and means for releasably and freely pivotally securing said tongue means to said shaft to effect a pivotal s connection which is free from a binding frictional engagement between said tongue means, said mounting plate and said shoe. 

1. A buckle for ski and mountaineering shoes having annular clamping loop means fixed to one instep portion of said shoe and toothed tensioning lever means fixed to the other instep portion of said shoe, said annular clamping loop means comprising: a mounting plate secured to said one instep portion of said shoe, said mounting plate having a cylindrical stub portion projecting vertically therefrom, said cylindrical stub portion having an internally threaded opening therethrough; means secured to said annular clamping loop means defining a tongue extending away from said clamping loop and being pivotally connected to said cylindrical stub; and a low-head screw threadedly engaged with said internally threaded opening in said cylindrical stub to thereby releasably secure said tongue means to said cylindrical stub, the head of said screw engaging the vertical edge oF said cylindrical stub to effect a pivotal connection of said tongue means to said mounting plate which is free of a binding, frictional
 2. Buckle according to claim 1, characterized in that the mounting plate has a nearly semicircularly shaped ridge which partially surrounds the bearing portion and is used as a stop to limit the swinging movement.
 3. Buckle according to claim 2 characterized in that the ridge is arranged on a cover plate which is rigidly connected to the mounting plate.
 4. Buckle according to claim 3, characterized in that the cover plate has hollow rivet stubs which secure the cover plate to mounting plate and permit the passage of the retaining rivet therethrough.
 5. Buckle according to claim 1, characterized in that the clamping loop is constructed as a spring clamp.
 6. Buckle according to claim 1, wherein said tongue means has means defining an opening therethrough for receiving said cylindrical stub, said cylindrical stub projecting above said tongue means so that the engagement of said head of said screw with said vertical edge of said cylindrical stub will prevent said head of said screw from interferring with the pivoting motion of said tongue means.
 7. A buckle for ski and mountaineering shoes, comprising: toothed tensioning lever means fixed to one of the instep portions of said shoe; annular clamping loop means having an annular clamping loop cooperating with said toothed tensioning lever means, said annular clamping loop having a mounting plate secured to the other of the instep portions of said shoe, said mounting plate having means defining a pivot shaft thereon; means secured to said annular clamping loop defining a tongue extending away from said annular clamping loop; and means for releasably and freely pivotally securing said tongue means to said shaft to effect a pivotal s connection which is free from a binding frictional engagement between said tongue means, said mounting plate and said shoe. 